


Lilac Sky

by Jeonghanscheekbones



Series: Angsty Seventeen Fics [11]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Astrology, Chaeyoung is gay too obviously, Cheerleaders, Cute, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Is this a vent fic?, Jisoo is kinda mean, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Some Plot, falling asleep together, nope just me projecting my own fake romance into a fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27898828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeonghanscheekbones/pseuds/Jeonghanscheekbones
Summary: Seungcheol is a loner who no one knows.Jeonghan is captain of the cheer squad.When their math teacher forces one of the boys to tutor the other, it becomes the start of an unlikely friendship.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: Angsty Seventeen Fics [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1350832
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	1. Strawberry Milk

**Author's Note:**

> Ok just a fair warning, I’ve never done competitive cheer, or even high school cheer. Everything cheer-related in this story is stuff I got off the internet or from watching Bring It On. I’m sorry if I got anything wrong.

Seungcheol dreaded going to school. His grades were barely good enough for him to pass most of his classes, and he didn't have any friends. His teachers basically hated him, and kids even picked on him for being the dumbest kid in class.  
He was practically counting down the days until graduation. 

Looking at the clock, he realized it was time to actually go to school. It wouldn't be the first time he lost track of time while looking at Zodiac memes on Instagram and ended up getting to class late. 

The distance from his house to school was thankfully only about 15 minutes, and he had a couple of minutes to spare by the time he arrived.

After pushing past the crowds of kids scattered throughout the hallways, he reached his locker. He dialed the combo into his lock and pulled the door open, the rusty hinges making an ear-piercing squeal. He took his science textbook out, and put his backpack on top of the mountain of miscellaneous crap that Seungcheol always planned on cleaning but never did. His locker kinda looked like a landfill. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a hand slapped his shoulder.  
"Move it or lose it, kid, you're crowding my locker," a shrill voice said much too loudly in his right ear. 

Seungcheol stepped back, watching as a few cheerleaders congregated right next to his locker. There were probably 5 of them, all talking cheerfully as they got their books and stuff. 

Seungcheol still needed his pens, so he stayed and waited for them to leave for a few seconds. 

The same girl made a sour face at him, "Why are you standing there staring at us? Get lost, you perv!" She said, almost immediately letting out a surprised shriek when someone pulled on her ponytail. 

"Don't be so rude, Jisoo," the only boy in the group said, furrowing his eyebrows at her. He looked up at Seungcheol, his expression softening. He opened his mouth, but didn't speak, just walking away and letting all of the girls follow him. 

Yoon Jeonghan, the first male cheerleading captain in the history of the South Seongnam High School Angels. He made waves at the beginning of the Quarter when he was chosen for the position, and proved himself by leading the team to victory at their first competition of the season.  
Everybody in the school knew the name Yoon Jeonghan, and the jawdroppingly beautiful face that went with it. 

Seungcheol had hardly ever spoken to him, and frankly he was surprised that jeonghan wasn't just as mean as the other snobby, rich cheerleaders. 

Shrugging it off, he got his pen out of his locker and went to his first period class. 

"Alright. I've finished grading your tests from last week. These are worth 5% of your final mark, so you should hope you did well," Mr. Kim announced during math class, handing out papers at everyone's desks. 

Seungcheol groaned, crossing his fingers for at least a 70%. This was one of the tests that he actually studied for, and he was kinda confident.  
He knew he was fucked when his teacher stopped next to his desk, and murmured the words "See me after class," when he gave him the test. 

Flipping the paper over, Seungcheol's heart sank when he saw the 53 written in red ink at the top. He put his head in his hands and tried not to freak out, taking deep breaths until he was sure he wasn't going to cry. 

He basically zoned out the rest of class, his mind wandering as he thought about how exactly he'd go about dropping out of school, since at this point he might actually flunk.  
By the time the bell rang, he'd come to the conclusion that he could just quit school and be a stripper. 

He gathered his things and went straight to his teacher's desk, "You wanted to see me Sir?"

Mr. Kim nodded, "Well, uh..you made a 53 on your test. I'm afraid you're at risk of flunking this class," his eyes shifted around the room. 

Seungcheol didn't say anything. 

"I think it would be best if you had another student tutor you."

"Wait what? No no no no, I can study on my own, I promise!" He begged, he didn't want to get stuck having to spend time with one of these people in his class. 

Lowering his voice, "Seungcheol, I really think this would be good for you. Please just try it out for a little. If your grades improve by the next test, you can drop the tutoring sessions."

"Alright. Fine," he sighed, giving up. 'I guess if it keeps me from flunking out, it's worth it'

He smiled kindly, his crows' feet becoming more prominent, "I have a student in mind who I think you'd get along well with. He's one of the smartest in my class, and he's very outgoing. He'll be getting extra credit for helping you, of course," He explained. 

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" A smooth voice said from the doorway, drawing the attention of both the teacher and Seungcheol. Yoon Jeonghan, of fucking course. 

Seungcheol stared at him wide eyes for a moment, "H-hi," he blurted out, waving slightly. 

"Jeonghan-ssi, this is the student you'll be tutoring."

Seungcheol's mind had gone blank. Jeonghan would be the one tutoring him? Yoon jeonghan? The most popular boy in school who had tons of friends and threw parties all the time and shit? He was going to be the tutor. 

Jeonghan approached hun, extending a hand for him to shake, "I don't believe we've ever formally met. I'm Jeonghan," he said, smiling politely, "I look forward to working with you."

"I-I'm Seungcheol," he said, not sure why he was suddenly nervous, "So uh..when should we start with the tutoring?" 

Jeonghan nodded, "Well are you available Thursday and Sunday evenings? I have Cheer practice all the rest of the days."

"Yeah..wait today is Thursday," he said, glancing to the side to see that Mr. Kim had already left the classroom, leaving the two of them alone. His heart thumped, for some reason he was avoiding making eye contact with this boy. 

Shrugging, Jeonghan put his backpack over his shoulder, "Yeah. Why don't you come over at 6:00 and I'll help you with math stuff."

"Ok. What's your address?" 

Jeonghan scoffed, "I just had a party last month, weren't you there?" He asked. 

Sighing, Seungcheol looked at the floor, "I wasn't invited.." his ears started burning at the awkwardness of the situation. Just when he was starting to think Jeonghan wasn't like the other rich snobs at school, he was proven wrong. 

"Really? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought I sent invites to all the seniors, I must not have had your number," his eyebrows raised, thin lips forming a pout, "Anyway, here's my number," he said, pulling out a piece of paper and scribbling onto it, "Text me sometime today."

Seungcheol was a little taken aback by that reaction, "oh uh..ok," he took the piece of paper, turning to leave the room, "See you..later," he said before walking out into the hall. Jeonghan looked like he wanted to say more but their next period was starting soon, and frankly Seungcheol didn't want to spend more time with that guy than he had to. 

The rest of the day went by way too quickly. After school, Seungcheol went back home and just watched tv for an hour, not wanting to think too much about stupid math, or stupid tutoring, or stupid Jeonghan. 

By the time 5:30 rolled around, he figured it was time to start walking to Jeonghan's house. He texted the boy, asking for his address, and was met with a very fast response that-in seungcheol's opinion-contained way too many emojis. 

Apparently, the two boys lived in the same neighborhood, so the walk to his house was only 15 minutes. When Seungcheol reached what he assumed to be the correct house, his expectations were proven false yet again. 

Jeonghan's house was..normal looking. Not a massive, gaudy mansion, but a modest suburban home not unlike Seungcheol's. The bushes in the front yard were dying a little, and the front door looked like it needed a fresh coat of paint. Seungcheol felt a little guilty for making such reaching assumptions about Jeonghan despite not really knowing him. 

Taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell.  
A few seconds passed. 

Suddenly, the door swung open, "Hey!" A cheerful voice greeted, it was Jeonghan, "Come on in."  
His blonde hair was up in a sleek ponytail, and his cheer clothes were replaced with a pink tshirt and ripped jeans. He might've been wearing some makeup, too, but Seungcheol couldn't tell for sure. 

Seungcheol stepped inside, kicking off his shoes, "So uh.." he didn't knew where to go with that sentence. Thankfully Jeonghan had something of importance to say. 

"My bedroom is upstairs. Do you want anything to drink? We have water, tea, juice, soda," he explained, smiling politely at him. 

_'God why is he so nice?'_

"Um.." Seungcheol looked at the floor, "Water, please?"

"Ok. Go ahead upstairs, and I'll be up with it. It's the room at the far end of the hallway. You'll know it when you see it," he chuckled, walking away, probably towards the kitchen. 

Seungcheol went upstairs and went to the room at the end of the hall that, indeed, was exactly what he expected Jeonghan's room to look like.  
There was a shelf full of miscellaneous cheer trophies and other memorabilia.  
He observed the other side of the room, which had a twin size bed with pink bedding. Above it, was a poster of a kpop singer who Seungcheol didn't know the name of, but knew he was from a group called Super Junior. On the night stand was a small pride flag sticking out of a mason jar, which made Seungcheol smile a little bit. 

"Hey," Jeonghan suddenly appeared in the doorway, "What do you think of the decor?"

"It's..uh nice.?" He looked around again, this time noticing more kpop posters on the other walls, and the bunny plushie on the bed. 

"Totally doesn't look like it belongs to a 12 year old girl, right?" His tone was thinly veiled with passive aggressiveness, "Here's your water," he said, holding out a bottle of water. 

"Thanks," he took it, "So where should we-"

"We can sit on my bed," he said, plopping down onto the mattress and patting the space next to him. 

Seungcheol did as he was instructed, sitting on Jeonghan's bed and pulling his math book out. He looked at Jeonghan, waiting for him to give more instructions. The silence was awkward. 

Scooting over a bit closer, Jeonghan cleared his throat, "Do you want to go over today's homework?" He asked with a slight smile. 

Nodding, he got out his homework from his backpack, putting it on top of the math book, "I haven't even started it yet, but if it was anything like yesterday's, I probably won't get it." He mumbled, running his fingers through his hair to get it out of his face. He wondered for a moment, _is Jeonghan's hair as soft as it looks_? He imagined playing with it and letting the silky strands glide through his fingers, then he realized how weird that was and he shook the thought out of his head. 

"Ok, we can go over the first problem together," he said, lurching over Seungcheol to reach the pen that was on top of his night stand.  
Seungcheol couldn't help but notice that Jeonghan smelt nice, like strawberries and vanilla. 

They began working on the first problem of the homework, then the 2nd, then the 3rd. The awkwardness seemed to dissipate once the two began talking more. Seungcheol began to look at the situation a little differently, realizing that he may have misjudged Jeonghan. He wasn't a stuck up, snobby popular kid like Seungcheol originally thought. He was nice, and smelled good, and could help Seungcheol not flunk out of math.  
Maybe this arrangement wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. White Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeonghan and Seungcheol continue to have their tutoring sessions, and Seungcheol has a rude awakening when he meets Jeonghan’s friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I love this story. That’s all.

Judging by how the first tutoring session went with Jeonghan, Seungcheol actually didn't dread the next one, and when Sunday arrived, he might've been looking forward to it. They started by going over the math homework, but then got sidetracked when Seungcheol found out Jeonghan liked astrology and started telling him everything he knew about black holes, and zodiacs, and constellations. Most people thought that stuff was boring, but Jeonghan listened intently while Seungcheol rambled.   
[read: Seungcheol didn't have many people to talk to about his interests.]  
Next thing they knew, it was 7:30 and Seungcheol had only done like 3 math problems.   
They called it a night, promising to actually get stuff done the next time. 

-

Now it's Monday morning, and Seungcheol is sitting in his Science class, but he isn't thinking about Science.   
Certain snapshots from the previous night replay in his head like an Instagram Boomerang. 

_"I like how your eyes light up when you talk about Space stuff." Jeonghan told him, a light smile gracing his lips as he took a sip of his strawberry milk._

_"Come sit with me during lunch tomorrow. I can show you more of those kpop songs I told you about," he said before Seungcheol left for the night._

Seungcheol thought about the way he felt so comfortable with Jeonghan, and the way Jeonghan seemed to actually enjoy talking to him, and suddenly he found himself eager to see him again. Is that weird? They weren't friends, Seungcheol was just the dumb kid that Jeonghan tutors. Once the tutoring is over, they'll have no reason to hang out anymore.   
Seungcheol decided that he shouldn't get too attached, and keep their relationship completely professional. 

When Lunch period began, Seungcheol scanned the lunch room, looking for somewhere to sit. As always, it was crowded and overwhelming. Most of the tables were already full, and he was considering just eating in the bathroom, but then he suddenly heard his name being called.

"SEUNGCHEOL! Come sit over here!" A honey-sweet voice called out, belonging to none other than Jeonghan. 

Hesitating for a moment, Seungcheol realized Jeonghan was serious about inviting him to sit with him at lunch. He walked over to that table, sliding into the open space which Jeonghan had apparently been saving for him, "Hey," he greeted.

He looked around, realizing that the rest of the table was occupied by 5 of Jeonghan's cheerleader girlfriends, and they were all looking him up and down. 

"Do we know you?" One of them asked condescendingly. She had shoulder length black hair with two streaks of blonde in the front, and her lips were painted bright pink. 

"I'm Seungcheol," he said, sitting up straight, "Jeonghan is tutoring me."

The girl sitting right across from him hummed a "Mmhm", and leaned forward, "You're the astrology kid that doesn't have friends, right?" She tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips. 

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, he croaked a "Yes," it was becoming evidently clear that he wasn't welcome at this table. He began to consider just politely excusing himself and finishing his lunch in an empty classroom.   
He was beginning to get a little hurt, and he hoped Jeonghan would say something to defend him. 

"Mr. Kim is making Jeonghan hang out with you and stuff?" Another girl said, and Seungcheol was seriously fighting the urge to throw his sandwich at her. 

Jeonghan didn't say anything. 

Another girl, the same one that called him a Perv the previous week, chimed in, "And what exactly makes you think we want you here?"

That was the final straw. Seungcheol was not going to sit here and get bullied by a bunch of teenage girls, without any help from the one person who he thought actually wanted him there, "Alright," he abruptly stood up, "Jeonghan, I think I'm going to find a new math tutor. This was fun while it lasted," he sneered, grabbing his lunch bag and walking away.   
He walked out into the hall without any real destination, dodging the groups of other students going from class to class. 

"Seungcheol! Seungcheol, wait, please! I'm Sorry! Seungcheol wait!"

Seungcheol turned around, seeing Jeonghan running after him. He stopped and waited for Jeonghan to catch up, "I won't bother you or your friends any more," He drolled, and he would've guessed Jeonghan barely heard it over the noisy environment. 

"No, please come with me," Jeonghan grabbed his arm, pulling him into the nearest men's bathroom so they could talk more privately. 

Sighing, Seungcheol scowled at him, "What?" 

"I'm so so sorry they said those things, and I'm sorry for not speaking up for you, and I would totally understand if you don't want to be friends any more, but I promise you that there was an important reason for all of that," he pleaded, eyebrows knitted together in concern. 

Seungcheol decided to humor him, "Ok, what's the important reason?" He crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows. 

"When I was a freshman, I was the youngest kid on the cheer squad. I started dating this boy on the football team, and he was a senior," Jeonghan paused, rubbing the back oh his neck, "All of the girls on the team warned me that it was a bad idea because he's too old for me, but I kept seeing him anyway cause he was so nice and I really liked him."

"What does this have anything to do with-"

"-You'll see, I'm getting there!" There was a sense of urgency in his tone, "He was nice, but then he started trying to pressure me into doing..dirty things with him. I told him no but he kept asking, and eventually I threatened to break up with him if he asked me to have sex with him again.." he trailed off, looking at the ceiling and taking another breath, "I did that..and he beat me."

"Oh my god.." Seungcheol heard himself whispering, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. 

"Yeah. He beat me up in the locker room after school, and the girls found me," he blinked away the tears that threatened to well up in his eyes, swallowing thickly, "It took me a long time to get over that..This is why my friends go all ' _FBI Agent_ ' on any guy that looks in my direction," he sniffled, pursing his lips, "I should've warned you instead of just letting them blindside you. I'm sorry."

A few moments of awkward silence succeeded.   
"They're trying to protect you," Seungcheol said finally, looking him in the eyes and trying to look past all of the pain and hurt that he saw in them.   
His voice came out a bit raspy when he continued, "What they said to me wasn't ok, but I understand it."

Jeonghan blinked a couple times, opening his mouth, then closing it again, "You do?"

He pursed his lips, sighing, "I want to be your friend, Jeonghan. I'll put up with their questions, if that's what it takes."

Eyes widening, Jeonghan's chapped lips curled into a small smile, "Really?" He whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind his ear, "You sure?"

"Yeah. For you, it's worth it."

The two boys went back to the cafeteria, which had quieted down due to lunch period coming to an end.  
Seungcheol looked around at the girls, who were, once again, staring at him suspiciously, "Grill me. Do your worst. I'm an open book," he took a bite of his PB&J, anticipating his interrogation. 

"When's your birthday?" Was the first question asked. 

"August 8."

"Do you have a fake ID?" 

"Nope."

"Last time you got drunk?" 

"One year ago."

"Are either of your parents a cop?"

"My mom's an accountant, my dad's a salesman."

"Do you go to church?"

"No, but I believe in god."

"Are you a virgin?"

That's when Jeonghan cut in, "Woah woah, Chaeyoung, too far!" He turned to Seungcheol, "You do NOT have to answer that one."

Shrugging, Seungcheol hummed in response, "I don't mind. To answer your question, yes I'm a virgin. I've never even dated anyone before."

One of the girls, tapped her chin before suddenly exclaiming, "Oh!" To get everyone's attention, "I think you've passed the test. You're allowed to be friends with our Jeonghannie now." 

One of the other girls, apparently named Chaeyoung, pointed at him, "But if you ever hurt him.."

"Relax, we're just friends. It's not like we're dating or anything," Jeonghan elbowed Seungcheol in the arm, looking at him and laughing a little bit. 

Looking back at him, Seungcheol gave a wan laugh. He looked down a the table, grabbing his sandwich and taking a bite, hoping that it was only his imagination that his cheeks were feeling hot. 

For the remaining couple minutes of lunch, the conversation at the table started up again, and the girls asked Seungcheol what he knew about zodiac signs and stuff. They tried to tell him about this kpop group they thought he should stan, ATEEZ, or something like that.  
Looking over at Jeonghan, Seungcheol considered the situation a little differently.   
Jeonghan actually wanted to be his friend, and was willing to tell him about his traumatic story to convince him to stay. He's been so nice this whole time, and wants to spend time with him outside of tutoring. Maybe this is good. Maybe Seungcheol's found himself some actual friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback are appreciated ❤️


	3. Amber Lamps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungcheol and Jeonghan study together some more, and then Seungcheol has his math test.

"72. It's 72, right?" Seungcheol asked, pointing to the number scrawled onto a scratch piece of paper, surrounded by lots of other scribbles and things that got crossed out.   
The pitter of rain hitting the window created a gentle background noise. 

It was 7:00pm on a Thursday night, he and jeonghan were slaving away under the light of the younger's desk lamp. The date of that dreaded math test was quickly approaching, and Seungcheol was feeling the heat. 

Jeonghan looked at his own finished homework sheet and compared it to Seungcheol's answer, "No. sorry." 

Sighing and leaning back in his seat, Seungcheol rubbed his eyes, "Fuck this.. I'll just drop out of school and be a stripper," he looked over at Jeonghan, hoping for him to at least laugh a little. 

He cracked a small smile, "Stripping is a solid profession. Is that what you actually want to do?" The golden glow of the lamp made his eyes almost sparkle. 

"No," Seungcheol put his arm up on the back of the chair, facing him fully, "After high school I want to be a set designer for tv shows and stuff. What about you?"

Jeonghan tilted his head to the side, humming to himself, "I bet you'd never guess," he chuckled a little bit, twirling his pen in his hands, "I want to cheer professionally, then be a coach after that."

"Ok, I don't want this to sound rude but do you have any interests besides cheer?"

Jeonghan tapped his chin, thinking deeply, "Yeah. I like kpop, and Thai BL dramas, and food," he smiled at Seungcheol, "If those count."

"You watch BL?" He asked, a little amused. 

"Uh..sometimes," Jeonghan's face turned a lovely shade of pink instantly. He grabbed his water bottle and took a large gulp, "Well, I doubt you'd be interested in that kinda stuff hahaha.." he trailed off. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" The silence went from natural to awkward in record speed. He watched Jeonghan squirm in his seat as he searched for an answer to that question. 

Finally he furrowed his eyebrows and just asked, "Well, you're straight, right?" He seemed completely serious. 

"Are you joking?" He couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything about me that seems straight to you?" He cackled, burying his blushing face in his hands and tapped his feet on the ground. He took a deep breath, sitting up straight and wiping the happy tears from his eyes, "Ah, sorry. Uh, it's just that I thought you knew."

"So you are gay?" 

"Yeah!" 

Jeonghan laughed too, "Oh well damn! My gaydar must be broken."

"Dude. I'm into astrology, I cuff my jeans, I don't know how to drive, and I'm pretty sure I told you last week that my celebrity crush was Taemin from SHINee. You have the worst gaydar in the history of gaydars!"

"Shut up!" He whined, pouting at the older boy, "Whatever let's just finish this stuff," he put his hands down on the desk, scooting his chair closer to the desk, and closer to Seungcheol, "I want to give you a practice test at some point to make sure you've got it down."

Seungcheol's right side was suddenly feeling very warm. He shrugged it off, assuming that Jeonghan just had a propensity to run hot, "Oh, ok," his ears burned, and he tried to tear his eyes away from Jeonghan's kind gaze and gentle smile, and back to his math sheet, "I'll try this one," he pointed to a math problem and began working on it, very quickly losing all of his confidence. This was so hard, why was it so hard?! Seungcheol felt like an idiot for not being able to do it. He tried to remember the formula but when he plugged it in, it kept coming out wrong. His hand shook as his pen hovered over the scribble-covered paper, "I can't..I don't know," he sighed, defeated.   
Then he felt a hand on top of his own, snapping him out of his frustration. Suddenly, he felt warm all over. 

Jeonghan rubbed the top of Seungcheol's fingers with his thumb, "Cheol, it's ok. You don't need to stress out about it. It's just a math problem. You get it eventually," he said gently, taking the pen out of his hands, "I'll show you again, one step at a time."

Nodding blankly, Seungcheol watched as Jeonghan explained it again. He didn't knew why he suddenly felt so weird, maybe he had too much caffeine and that's why his heart was beating too fast. He chose to ignore it, just focusing on the math. 

_Tik tik tik tik tik_

The clock was too loud, it was all he could hear.   
Seungcheol cracked his knuckles, watching as Mr. Kim passed out the graded papers from the previous Week's exam. 

This high school bullshit is the only reason anyone should be this stressed at noon on a Monday. 

If Seungcheol could get at least an 80%, he wouldn't flunk the term. He also wouldn't have to get tutored by Jeonghan anymore, which made him kind of sad. He was certain that Jeonghan wouldn't want to hang out with him anymore, since they had no reason to do so.   
_'No matter'_ Seungcheol thought, it was his own fault for thinking their relationship was anything other than professional.   
He watched as Mr. Kim set the paper down on his desk, and it felt like slow motion. 

"Good Job, Mr. Choi," The teacher said, but Seungcheol barely heard it. His eyes were trained on the big red 84 on the top right corner of his paper. 84. That's more than 80.   
He did It. He actually got a good mark. 

Once the bell rang, Seungcheol gathered his things and left the class room. He walked to his locker, passing the dozens of angsty teen faces without a passing glance, "Jeonghan!" He called as soon as he spotted the head of silky blonde hair sticking out from the gaggle of brunette cheerleaders surrounding him. 

The boy turned around, his face lighting up when he locked eyes with Seungcheol. Approaching him, he asked, "How'd you do?" And snatched the paper out of his hand, reading the grade for himself. 

The older didn't even realize what was happening until Jeonghan was screaming in his ear, "OMG an 84?! I'm so proud of you!" He squealed as he threw his arms around Seungcheol and twirled him around, literally sweeping him off of his feet. 

Seungcheol stiffened, not even breathing until Jeonghan released him from his grasp, " _HOW_ are you so strong? I thought you were a flyer!" He gasped, surprised with himself for remembering cheer lingo. 

"I WAS a flyer, until I grew past 5'7 and got downgraded to a base," he tugged on his blue and white cheer top, which got wrinkled when he picked up Seungcheol, "OW!" He suddenly squealed when Jihyo punched his arm. 

"Base is not a downgrade, Yoon," she said, pouting. 

He mumbled an apology and rubbed his arm, looking back at Seungcheol again, "But anyway, congratulations on the grade. I guess I'm a good tutor, huh?"

"The best tutor," Seungcheol smiled back at him.   
The awkward silence that followed lasted approximately 7 seconds. Seungcheol saw his friendship with Jeonghan slipping away before his eyes, now that their deal was over.   
He didn't want this to end, he wanted to continue being friends with him, "Do you wanna hang out?" He heard himself blurt suddenly.  
Before Jeonghan could give an answer, Seungcheol felt the need to argue his point, "Not for tutoring, but just, to hang out. We could go somewhere..or something. I dunno.."

"Yeah of course," and suddenly Jeonghan was putting his arm around Seungcheol as they walked to their next period class, "What do you have in mind?"

Seungcheol looked at him, feeling his ears burn for some reason, "Uh.. Maybe after school?" We can walk to the park or something?" They turned the corner, walking down a different hallway. He tried to play off his happiness, but inside, he was soaring because Jeonghan still wanted to be his friend.

"I have chee-"

"Cheer practice. Right, I forgot, sorry." Seungcheol frowned, looking at Jeonghan's hand, which was caressing his shoulder. _That's not weird at all, right_?

"It's ok. Practice is over at 4:45. You can come to the school gym then and we can leave from there?" 

Seungcheol noticed that they were approaching his Literature classroom, "That sounds good," he broke away from Jeonghan's grasp, "See you then!" He waved goodbye as he went into the classroom.   
Sitting at his desk, Seungcheol felt himself bite back a nervous grin.   
Jeonghan's touch lingered on him, like he was still holding onto him. His enticing smile and chocolaty sweet eyes were burned into Seungcheol's memory like a tattoo. The golden sheen of his silky hair. His warm, sweet smell; like coconut and strawberries. The tenor tone of his laugh ringing through the air.   
He didn't feel real, yet here he was, slowly moving into Seungcheol's life.   
He tried to shake the thoughts of Jeonghan out of his head, but he couldn't. Why does that guy have to have such a strong presence like that?   
Seungcheol ignored the butterflies in his stomach when he thought about that majestic boy, deciding that maybe he was just a little too touch starved or something.   
This would all go away soon.  
It has to go away soon.


	4. Porcelain Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungcheol and Jeonghan hang out together after school, and Seungcheol learns more about Jeonghan’s past.

Once the final bell rang at 3:15, Seungcheol left his Lit class and thought about what he'd do for the next hour and a half before meeting up with Jeonghan.   
He could walk home, but that'd take a while and tire him out and honestly he just didn't feel like it.   
He could take a nap in the library, but he got yelled at by the librarian last time he did that.   
Ultimately, Seungcheol decided to just find an empty classroom and get some of his homework done.

The next hour seemed to go by pretty fast, Seungcheol ended up finishing his science worksheet and he started on that dreaded math homework, which he'd probably end up asking Jeonghan to help with later.   
The next thing he knew, it was 4:20pm. He smirked to himself upon seeing the time, "420," he whispered under his breath, packing up his stuff and leaving the classroom.   
He figured he'd go ahead and go to the gym, since Jeonghan's cheer practice would be almost over. 

Approaching the heavy double doors that went to the school gym, Seungcheol peeked inside and saw the team practicing. It didn't take long for him to spot Jeonghan, since the majestic boy was in the center of the formation, guiding them as if he were conducting an orchestra. 

"1, 2, 3, 4! Tuck jump! Bases Ready! Basket Toss! HOLD THAT SCORPION, DAHYUN! I know you can do it! And DOWN. Squat, tuck jump, LAND WITH A HIGH V! GO ANGELS!" He shouted all in rapid succession, watching them carefully to make sure everything was going as planned, "Very good. Go get some water and we'll regroup for stretching!" 

Seungcheol slowly opened the door, slipping inside.   
Jeonghan, hearing the noise, turned to Seungcheol's direction. He smiled, grabbing his water bottle off of the bleachers, "Hey. Did you see that?" He asked, his voice slightly hoarse. 

"Yeah. That was pretty cool," Seungcheol approached him, watching as he gulped down some water.   
His face was flushed a little pink, forehead shimmering with a layer of sweat. He smelt of Old Spice deodorant with a bit of BO peeking through, which Seungcheol noticed but didn't pay any mind to it. 

"Thanks," Jeonghan tucked the one piece of hair that wasn't in his ponytail behind his ear, "I choreographed it myself.   
A little more fine tuning and it'll be ready for nationals. He looked at the girls all drinking their water and stretching on the other side of the gym, "I'm lucky to be leading such a dedicated team," he said wistfully, his lips turning up into a small smile. 

Seungcheol stared at him, his heart thumping in his chest, suddenly feeling nervous, but in a good way, "They're lucky to have such an amazing captain." 

After practice wrapped up, jeonghan showered, changed back into his normal clothes, and put his stuff in his gym locker, the two boys left the school together around 5:30.   
The sun had begun to set, leaving the sky full of streaks of pink and orange. The October chill was harsh and unrelenting and it made Seungcheol wish he'd worn something more than just a tshirt. 

"Where do you wanna go?" Jeonghan asked, sticking his hands into the pockets of his varsity jacket. 

Seungcheol looked at his watch, "We can go somewhere for dinner, and then go to the park or something?" Perhaps he'd been thinking about their hang out plans for the last 3 hours. 

Snorting, Jeonghan shrugged, "Dinner and a walk in the park? That sounds like a date to me."

If seungcheol was drinking something, he would've done a spit take, "Uh, no it's not a date! I mean unless you wanted-uh-no no it's not a date-"

"Dude, it's fine. This is whatever you want it to be," he shook his head, chuckling as he put his arm around Seungcheol. 

And there was that warmth again. That subtle heat that Jeonghan seemed to radiate constantly. Seungcheol decided he liked it, regardless of the way his heart seemed to palpitate because of it. He put his arm around Jeonghan's waist, "Dinner and a walk in the park. That's what this is," he sighed, looking into Jeonghan's eyes and trying to ignore the way he felt like passing out because Jeonghan is so breathtakingly beautiful. 

The two went to a small, family-owned, ramyeon restaurant for dinner; they sat themselves at a secluded table in the corner and had their orders taken. 

Jeonghan took a sip of his water, the waitress gave them each a glass as soon as they were seated, "I'm glad you picked this place. It's really good. The girls and I used to come here all the time after practice."

Furrowing his eyebrows, "Really? Wouldn't your mum scold you for ruining your appetite before dinner?" He tossed out, remembering how his own parents would always tell him that when he was younger. 

Frowning, Jeonghan slumped in his seat, "My parents are always working late, so I made my own dinner most nights," he explained, "I guess I'd rather go out with my friends then go home to an empty house." 

A part of Seungcheol wondered if that was the only reason Jeonghan agreed to hang out with him, but apparently Jeonghan read his mind. 

"Not this, of course! I'm not hanging out with you to avoid my family problems!" He quickly said, raising his eyebrows, "Cause I actually..I mean- you're really cool, and we're friends, and I really wanted to hang out with you-um I'm rambling now. Sorry," he rubbed his forehead, sighing, "Just forget all of that."

Seungcheol laughed, "It's fine. I know what you meant."

The two were served their ramyeon and enjoyed it over the next 45 minutes or so. Their conversation dwindled into a riveting debate on whether a taco is a sandwich or not. Jeonghan strongly believes it is.

By the time the two of them left the restaurant with full bellies and hearts, it was a little past 6:00. The sun was setting, bleeding the sky into a warm orangey pink. 

Seungcheol took note of the way Jeonghan seemed to glow in the sunlight, it was his honey skin and caramel eyes and pink lips that Seungcheol found.. _attractive_. 

Wait, he's not supposed to find Jeonghan attractive. They're friends. No no. _That must be the ramyeon talking, Jeonghan did say that it was so good, it had to be laced with something._  
Seungcheol shook it off, clearing his throat before speaking suddenly, "So, uh look, there's the park! The trees are changing color this time of year, it should be very pretty," he looked at Jeonghan as he said it, and it suddenly felt wrong to use the word Pretty when he wasn't talking about Jeonghan.

"Ok," Jeonghan shrugged, following Seungcheol whichever direction he went, "Oh by the way, did I ever tell you about how I almost got thrown into mall jail in Busan that one time?"

Seungcheol listened intently as Jeonghan continued his story, and then another story after that. He told Seungcheol about the time there was a tornado drill during cheer practice. He told him about his favorite cheer competition, where the team won 2nd place in their entire division. He explained how overjoyed he was when he found out he was chosen as team captain.   
Seungcheol was riveted, unexpectedly. He watched the way Jeonghan's face would light up as he spoke, and the way he'd gesticulate wildly at random points in his story. 

"Oh I'm sorry. You're probably sick of hearing my cheer stories," he said finally, frowning at the ground. 

"Of course not. It's really interesting," Seungcheol ensured, yet the silence that followed showed that Jeonghan didn't believe him, “Seriously, I want to hear more.”

They strolled through the park for quite a while, Jeonghan pointing out all of the pretty flora along the walking path, "You were right. The leaves on that tree are really pretty. Oh, but you can hardly see it now."

The sun was almost fully set, leaving the sky a hazy dark blue, and the moon peaking out from behind a cloud. A strong breeze swept up, and Seungcheol seriously regretted not wearing more layers. His hands were almost numb. 

"Seungcheol, you're shivering. Do you want my jacket?" 

He shook his head, "I'm fine," he put his hands up in protest, but Jeonghan grabbed one of them. 

"OMG YOUR HANDS ARE FREEZING!" He almost shouted, taking both of Seungcheol's hands and holding them in his own for a moment before letting go, "Please take my jacket. I won't take no for an answer. It's ok, I'm wearing long sleeves under this."

A defeated "Fine. Thank you," was uttered, and Seungcheol put on Jeonghan's letterman jacket. It was warm, and smelt of Jeonghan. He could feel his cheeks heating up as he hugged the jacket around himself, "Hey! There it is!" He suddenly saw the place that he wanted to bring Jeonghan to. 

"What?" 

"Come with me," Seungcheol linked his arm around Jeonghan's and walked him up a large hill nearby, once they were at the top, they could see most of the park and parking lot from up there. The grass was neatly cut, and the trees were spaced out to leave a small clearing in the middle of the hill. 

Seungcheol led him to the clearing, sitting down on the ground. He could tell that Jeonghan was still a little confused, "My family used to come here when I was little. We'd bring a picnic and then look for constellations in the stars," he laid on his back, eyes wandering over the darkening sky, "What do you think?"

Jeonghan looked down at the boy laying on the ground. He noticed the way Seungcheol's eyes seemed to light up when he spoke about space and stars, and his heart seemed to beat a little faster, "It's nice," he quickly laid down next to him, "This is nice," he shivered once he felt the cold grass through his shirt, but his left side felt a little warm next to Seungcheol. 

Sighing, Seungcheol looked over at Jeonghan, his breath hitching in his throat, "Hannie?" He pursed his lips, waiting for the other to look at him. 

"Yeah?" He was so much closer suddenly, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away when he looked into Seungcheol's eyes. This was different, and weird, and he kinda liked it. 

"I'm glad you're my friend," he whispered, and it felt weird to let himself be vulnerable to Jeonghan like that, but Seungcheol deemed him worthy of it.

Jeonghan's stomach felt weird, the same way it did right before a big cheer competition. Like he had butterflies or something, "I'm glad I'm your friend too,” he breathed, his eyes meeting Seungcheol’s pretty brown ones. 

It was so quiet on top of the hill, the up only noise being the cars on the distant highway up north. The air was thick with some sort of tension.   
Seungcheol blew air out of his nose, smiling wanly, "You're my only friend," and it came out less like a complaint, and more like a compliment. He looked back up at the sky, scooting closer to him. 

"I can't say the same, of course. My cheer girls are great," he paused, thinking carefully about what to say next, "But it’s been a long time since I’ve had someone outside of cheer. I don’t have to be _Cheer Captain Jeonghan that tries to control everything and solve people’s problems_. No school gossip, no stressing about the next cheer competition,” he looked over at Seungcheol again, “I feel like I can just be myself around you. You’re so chill, and nonjudgemental..” he paused again, as if to ensure that he’d say this correctly, “Lately, the time we’ve been spending together has been some of my favorite time.”

Seungcheol hummed in response, not knowing the words to explain how good he felt when Jeonghan said that. His heart was beating so hard, and he almost kind of wanted to cry happy tears. Then he felt a cold hand on top of his, fingers wrapping around his palm. His eyes shot over to Jeonghan's, and the younger just smiled at him. He tightened his grip on Jeonghan's hand. 

The two do them stayed like that, watching as more stars began to appear in the sky. They didn't speak much, they didn't have to. The silence was comfortable.   
Seungcheol’s feelings were overwhelming, even though he wasn’t sure what they were. He knew that he liked spending time with Jeonghan, and he knew that holding Jeonghan’s hand put butterflies in his stomach.   
He knew that he was in a good place, and that he wanted to stay like that.   
He knew that he was glad he met that magestic boy Yoon Jeonghan.


	5. Navy Leather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeonghan and Seungcheol come back to school  
> after their “date” and have to address the rumors that went around.

"Uughh," Seungcheol groaned, knowing there was a bright light shining in his face before he opened his eyes.   
Once his consciousness returned, he felt a weight on his chest, and warmth around his body.  
He slowly opened his eyes, realizing that Jeonghan was halfway laying on top of him with his head on Seungcheol's shoulder. He sighed in relief, then he realized that the sun was up, and he started to panic again, "Jeonghan! Wake up!" He said, shaking the boy awake. 

"Hm what-OH!" Jeonghan's eyes shot open and he immediately let go of Seungcheol, "What the fuck happened?! OH FUCK it's morning!" They both scrambled to their feet, brushing off the grass from their clothes. 

Seungcheol got out his phone, "OH FUCK ITS 7:30! We were here all night?”

"Oh my god! We need to get to school! Fuck fuck fuck fuck-"

"Dude, it's ok. We can just skip," Seungcheol suggested, typing out a text to his mom to tell her that he'd spent the night at a friend's house and that he was fine and wasn't kidnapped. 

Jeonghan looks very panicked suddenly, "No we can't! I have a meeting with the squad before first period! I can't miss it, we have to go!" His voice cracked, and he grabbed Seungcheol's hand. They ran out of the park, crossing the street and weaving through commuters on the sidewalk. 

Seungcheol was still disoriented and confused, but he trusted Jeonghan. He held on to his hand tighter when they had to get through a crowd of people, and he didn't want to let go, ever. Suddenly, he didn't care that they were hungry, lost, and in yesterday's clothes, because he felt safe with Jeonghan. 

They finally arrived at school, panting and out of breath from running there. Jeonghan dragged Seungcheol into the school gym, where almost the entire cheer squad already was, "I'M SORRY IM LATE, GIRLS!" He announced. 

"You're not late hun, you had like 5 minutes to spare," Chaeyoung gave him a hug, quickly pulling away and making a weird face, "Why do you smell like outdoors?"

"And why is he here?" Jisoo asked, her tone making it clear that she was referring to Seungcheol. Jihyo punched her arm, muttering at her to stop being rude. 

"We-uh-it's a long story," Jeonghan said, looking at Seungcheol, then back at the girls again, "But he's staying, and that's fine," his eyes widened into a look of warning. 

"I am?" Seungcheol raised his eyebrows at him. 

"I mean, if you want...I'd like you to stay."

"Uh sure," he shrugged, tugging at the sleeves of Jeonghan's jacket that he was still wearing, a warm feeling spreading through him. He bit back a smile upon knowing that Jeonghan wanted him there. 

Once the meeting officially started, everyone took a seat on the gym floor sitting in a circle. Seungcheol felt weird being in the circle, so he just sat behind Jeonghan. Apparently, the subject of the super-important meeting was that of their upcoming competition.  
'Nationals' they called it.   
Evidently, it was a very important competition that they'd been preparing for for months. 

Seungcheol listened intently as Jeonghan explained what time they needed to be there, how many hours it'd take to get there, what they should bring, how they should do their makeup, and when they'll be competing.   
Despite running on no breakfast, no coffee, no shower, and having slept in the park last night, he was explaining his plan so thoroughly and elegantly. He really looked like a strong, confident leader, and it made Seungcheol feel a way he couldn't quite explain. 

"And finally, I know I say this every time: the bus leaves at 5:15 after school, Do Not Be Late," he frowned, staring at Jisoo for an extra couple of seconds, "Do Not Be Late," he said again, watching Jisoo squirm awkwardly in her seat, "Anyway, that's all I have to say on the matter. Since this is a team and not a dictatorship, if anyone had anything to add, please do."

The Angels discussed their plans for another 5 minutes until the first period bell rang, signaling for them to get to class.   
Seungcheol, Jeonghan, and another girl on the team, Miyeon, had their first period on the west wing of the school, so they walked there together. 

"So what day is nationals, again?" Seungcheol asked, looking over at the two of them, mostly looking for something to talk about. 

"This Friday," Miyeon said plainly, not looking at him. She still hadn't quite warmed up to him yet. 

Jeonghan's eyes widened slightly, "Do you wanna come, Seungcheol?" He asked, clapping his hand onto the older's shoulder. 

"To the competition?" Seungcheol asked, looking at him over Miyeon's head. 

"Yeah! My parents aren't coming, and I'd like to have someone to watch me," he chuckled wanly, shrugging, "But seriously, I want you to come."

"Uh..Y-yeah. I want to come, and see you perform, and stuff," he tried to ignore the way his heart was beating way too fast, "OH there's my classroom. I gotta go. See you at lunch!" And then Seungcheol found himself running off to get to his science class. He turned around at the doorway, waving to the boy, "Bye," his lips curled into a smile once the two of them locked eyes.   
Jeonghan waved back, then walked away to go to his own class. 

Plopping down into his seat, Seungcheol couldn't get his mind off of Jeonghan. It was like he had some kind of magic spell over Seungcheol that made him willing to agree to anything.   
He couldn't figure out why he's feeling so strongly about a boy he'd been friends with for only a month. 

He was awoken from his spiraling thoughts when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to the person sitting behind him. 

"You're Seungcheol, right?" The boy asked, and it was someone seungcheol had probably never spoken to. 

"Yeah."

He looked around the room, then back at him, "Is it true?" He asked in a low tone. 

"Is what true?" 

"The rumor?" He said it like it was obvious, "That You and Yoon Jeonghan are dating?"

"Wha-NO!" Seungcheol blurted out, his ears starting to burn, "NO, we're not dating. We're just friends," he assured the guy, and for some reason it made his stomach feel heavy to say that. 

"Oh, that's odd. Jeonghan's not usually friends with anyone that's not on the cheer team."

"Yeah. I know. I guess I'm a first," he drolled, turning back around in his seat and preparing to sit through an hour of stupid chemistry class.

-

Plopping down at the cheerleader's lunch table, Seungcheol let out a sigh, "Ms. Shin is evil," he grumbled. 

"I know, right? How does she think it's ok to give us that much homework and have it all be due by tomorrow. Cruel woman," Miyeon agreed, equally upset with their literature teacher. 

Jisoo nodded, "Yeah! An evil woman! An evil, kinda hot woman.."

"What?" Everyone looked at her. 

"What?" She shrugged. "I can't help it, she's a milf."

Jeonghan raised his eyebrows, shaking his head, "Hm, gross. Anyway, did you guys hear the rumor that's going around?"

Almost everyone at the table replied with some form of agreement, all looking at Seungcheol. 

"I heard you guys went and got stoned in the woods before coming to school," Dahyun took a sip of her milk, raising her eyebrows at the two of them. 

Chaeyoung laughed, "Is it true?"

"NO!" Jeonghan and Seungcheol both said in unison, the latter throwing a napkin at her. He went on to explain to her what actually happened, looking to Seungcheol to verify the details. 

"Oh so it was just a normal date?" Dahyun asked to clarify. 

Seungcheol and Jeonghan looked at each other, then back at her, "It wasn't a date." 

"Yeah. Whatever. Let's talk about something interesting now," Jisoo's pause was long enough for everyone to roll their eyes at her, "Nationals. I heard that North San High has 2 flyers on their team who used to be gymnasts in the junior Olympics," she explained about the opposing school. 

Jeonghan's jaw dropped, "For real?! If they're competing with us, that's definite sandbagging," he groaned, furrowing his eyebrows, "As expected from North San.."

"Sand bagging?" Seungcheol tapped Jeonghan on the arm, pinching a little bit of his shirt sleeve in his fingers. 

"It means they have people on the squad who are way better than a high school competition level and, therefore, they have a huge advantage," He said, his voice becoming much softer once he looked at Seungcheol. 

Seungcheol's heart jumped a little, and he cleared his throat, "Oh. Ok."

The rest of lunch period went on like normal, and after that Seungcheol had the displeasure of going to his least favorite class, where his just-barely-above-failing GPA awaited him. 

"I hope everyone's been studying the homework very closely, because today we have a pop quiz!!" Mr. Kim announced once everyone was seated and quiet. 

Why that, of all things, Why that? Seungcheol groaned, rubbing his forehead with his hands as he waited for the test to be placed on his desk.

Upon looking at the first problem, Seungcheol breathed a small sigh of relief. He remembered doing this exact stuff with Jeonghan. 

"Just remember Y=Mx+B and you'll be good to go," Jeonghan's beautiful voice echoed in Seungcheol's head once he remembered what to do. He went through the fist few problems with ease, finding himself actually understanding the material. Once he finished the quiz, and looked up from his desk and realized that he was one of the first ones done. 

He looked out the window, sighing as he found himself getting lost in his thoughts. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about Jeonghan.   
Maybe it was becuase they're been hanging out too much lately. He tried to think of something else, but everything brought him back to that boy.   
Outside, there was a Japanese maple tree with a little bench underneath it. Seungcheol had known it was behind the school for a while, but never thought to go. Now, he's picturing the two of them sitting there, eating pepero, then they reach for it at the same time and their hands touch-

Seungcheol shook his head, perplexed as to why his mind would even go down that road. Sure, it felt nice when he and Jeonghan held hands last night. It made his stomach feel all warm and fuzzy. Sure, Jeonghan's sweet smile and soft voice made Seungcheol's heart flutter.   
Oh.   
Oh no.   
Seungcheol put his head in his hands, hoping that these weird thoughts were just a result of his weird morning and that it doesn't mean anything.


End file.
